Gideon Rothschild, Esq.

Gideon Rothschild, Esq., partner, now retired, with the New York City law firm Moses & Singer LLP. He is a past chair of the Real Property Trust & Estate Law Section of the American Bar Association. MosesSinger.com/gideon-rothschild

How Your Trust Can Avoid Taxes by Changing States
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How Your Trust Can Avoid Taxes by Changing States

You can completely avoid state income tax on a trust’s income based on guidelines from a recent US Supreme Court ruling. Here’s how.

Estate Planning That Benefits from Low Interest Rates
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Estate Planning That Benefits from Low Interest Rates

A time of low interest rates can be great for shifting assets to a younger generation.

How to Protect Your Assets Against Creditors
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How to Protect Your Assets Against Creditors

Be careful how you design a trust to bullet-proof your assets against creditors.

How to Head Off Costly Battles Over Wills and Trusts
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How to Head Off Costly Battles Over Wills and Trusts

By taking these actions before you die, it’s often possible to avoid conflicts over wills and trusts after you die.

Estate Planning for Families with Stepchildren
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Estate Planning for Families with Stepchildren

The presence of stepchildren can lead to possible conflicts of interest in estate planning. Here’s how to handle the possible problems.

Is Your Retirement Account Safe from Creditors?
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Is Your Retirement Account Safe from Creditors?

Whether your IRAs are protected from creditors depends on the answers to several questions.

Why You Should Review Your Estate Plan Now
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Why You Should Review Your Estate Plan Now

Given the frequent changes in tax laws, now may be the right time to conduct a thorough review of your estate plan. Here’s how.

The Right Way to Leave a Bequest for the Care of Your Pet
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The Right Way to Leave a Bequest for the Care of Your Pet

Here’s what you should and shouldn’t do to provide money for the care of your pet after you die.

Be Cautious When Naming Beneficiaries for Your IRA
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Be Cautious When Naming Beneficiaries for Your IRA

As many readers are aware, IRAs can offer many benefits including the ability to defer taxes on the money placed…

Avoid Family Feuds Over Who Inherits Your Collectibles
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Avoid Family Feuds Over Who Inherits Your Collectibles

When collectibles are divided up among heirs, a family can be torn apart over who gets what. An estate planner tells how to avoid this terrible outcome.

Here’s Who You Should Appoint as Your Executor or Trustee—and Who to Definitely Not Appoint
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Here’s Who You Should Appoint as Your Executor or Trustee—and Who to Definitely Not Appoint

Defaulting to the easiest or most obvious choice for your executor or trustee can have bad consequences—for your estate and your family.

Year-End Estate Planning Moves to Make Before December 31
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Year-End Estate Planning Moves to Make Before December 31

Now’s the time to review your existing estate plan to see whether changes in the law or in your situation mean you should take action.

How To Erase Potentially Giant Capital Gains Taxes
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How To Erase Potentially Giant Capital Gains Taxes

There’s a legal technique for giving away, and then receiving back, appreciated assets that wipes out your capital gain exposure. But know the danger, too.

Don’t Forget About Your Digital Assets in Your Estate Plan
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Don’t Forget About Your Digital Assets in Your Estate Plan

Many estates are being held up because decedents never gave information and authorization to access their digital accounts. It’s an expensive mistake.

Don’t Die Without a Will
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Don’t Die Without a Will

Some famous people—including Prince, Heath Ledger and now Aretha Franklin—died without a will. Even if you don’t have big assets, you still need one.

Are You a Trustee of a Life Insurance Trust? Know Your Obligations!
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Are You a Trustee of a Life Insurance Trust? Know Your Obligations!

Being trustee of a life insurance trust is not just an honorary title—you really do have some key responsibilities that you must perform.

Divorce? Change Your Estate Planning Documents!
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Divorce? Change Your Estate Planning Documents!

If you get divorced and fail to change your will, beneficiary designations and these other documents, there could be some very unwanted results.

How You Can Change an Irrevocable Trust: Decanting
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How You Can Change an Irrevocable Trust: Decanting

An irrevocable trust doesn't have to be as irrevocable as you might think: To change an existing trust, decant it.

3 Estate-Planning Gotchas in the New Tax Law
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3 Estate-Planning Gotchas in the New Tax Law

If you set up or updated your estate plan even just a year ago, big changes in tax law could be ruining its ability to protect you and your heirs.

Does Your Will Contain This Formula for Disaster?
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Does Your Will Contain This Formula for Disaster?

If you have a formula clause in your will that determines how assets get divided, you must review it now in light of the new federal tax law.